Presented at the XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, D.C., July 22-27, 2012.

Abstract:

HIV/AIDS and criminal justice involvement are critical intersecting public health issues for drug-involved women. Low-income, Black women especially bear the burden of the HIV epidemic and are overrepresented in the U.S. criminal justice system. Accumulating research indicates that incarceration is a major driver of HIV.1,2 However, little is known about HIV risks and prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among drug-involved women on probation and other forms of community supervision. Probation is currently the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice population nationwide. The number of adults on probation in the U.S now represents 1 out of 45 adults. This study aims to examine the prevalence and correlates of HIV among drug-involved women under community supervision.